Method for packaging materials in flexible walled containers



July 22 1969 c. E. WRIGHT 3,456,417

METHOD FOR I'ACKAUING IAA'I'IHHALS .IN FhEXlH l-i WAhbL-H) UON'IAINIIHSFiled Aug. 9. 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I FIG. 1

10 p 22 I I I i 1 i FIG 2a 24 I I I I! 26 N VI (Jl-L CHARLES E. WRIGHTATTORNEYS c. E. WRIGHT 3,456,417

THOD FOR PACKAGING MATERIALS IN FLEXIBLE WALLED CONTAINERS July 22, 19695 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 7, 1967 FIG 3a lr/vlgxwmle, CHARLES E.WRIGHTm 74 f 057%! ATTORNEYS y 969 c. E. WRIGHT 3,456,417 I JIE'ZHOD FORPACKAGING MATERIALS IN FLEXIBLE WALLED CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 7. 1967 3Sheets-Sheet L5 [NV/5N! UR CHARLES E. WRIGHT ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent O 3,456,417 METHOD FOR PACKAGING MATERIALS IN FLEXIBLE WALLEDCONTAINERS Charles E. Wright, 100 Kilbarry Road, Toronto 7, Ontario,Canada Cogtmugloiiiis-pagl of application Ser. No. 451,863, pr. is alication Au 7 1967 No. 658,836 pp g Ser Int. C1. 1365]) 61/00 US. Cl.53-14 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A web of flexible scalablematerial is formed into a substantially tubular casing which is crosssealed by means of sealing members, the tubular casing then beingadvanced and a pair of spaced apart removable closure members beingapplied to the casing a pre-determined distance from the cross seal. Thecasing is again advanced and is cross sealed a pre-determined distancefrom the closure members thereby completing the process which s thenrepeated. Before each pair of closure members 1s applied to the casingand before each cross sealing operation is performed on the casing apre-determined quantity of material is introduced into the casing, thecasing, as the final step or steps in the disclosed method, beingsevered through each cross seal area and between the closure membersconstituting each pair thereof. The casing may be advanced by movementof a mandrel tube around which the casing is formed or by movement ofthe sealing members. The ends of the casing which are presented by thesevering of the casing between the closure meinbers constituting eachpair thereof may be heat sea ed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is acontinuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 451,863, filed on Apr.29, 1965, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of invention In known methods ofcontinuously packaging materials in flexible walled containers made ofheat-scalable material a web of such material which has previously beenprovided with successive printed areas is shaped around a mandrel andformed into a continuous tube by joining along the adjacent edges. Heatand pressure are then applied transversely to form a cross seal thusproviding a container which is supplied with a measured or weighedquantity of material to a level dictated by the division between thesuccessive printed areas. After filling the tube is then advanced to aposition at which heat and pressure are again applied transversely tothe tube above the level of the material to provide a cross seal and thewhole process is then repeated.

In the method outlined above the container is, of course, heat sealed atboth ends but no provision is made for re-closing an end of thecontainer after said end has been opened by breaking of the appropriateheat seal, such re-closing of the container being required when, as isfrequently the case, only a portion of the material within the containeris used at a particularly time and the remainder of the material isstored for future use. It is thus desirable for flexible containerswhich have each been heat sealed at one end and filled to be capable ofbeing re-closed at the other end with a removable and reusable closure,irrespective of whether or not said other end is, in addition, closed byheat sealing.

It is also desirable to provide a method of continuously packagingproducts in flexible heatsealable tubes divided into containers whichare closed at at least one end with a heat seal and at the other endwith a removable and re-usable closure; one of the problems is to avoidwastage of the heat-scalable material.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a method of makingflexible containers continuously and at high speeds with removablere-usuable closures and cross seals without wastage of the flexiblematerial.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method ofcontinuously making and sealing containers sealed at one end andapplying mechanical re-usable closures at the other end, the containersbeing formed of sealable material.

Description of prior art The most relevant prior art of which theinventior is aware is US. Patents Nos. 3,057,129 to Meissner and3,214,883 to Omori. Meissner teaches the forming of a web into a tubewhich is then filled, sealed and cut, while Omori teaches the forming ofa web into a tube which is then filled, closed by pairs of spacedclosure members and cut between the closure members constituting eachpair thereof. It should be noted that in the packages formed by themethods as taught by Meissner and Omori the ends of each package areinevitably of identical form and, in particular, are both closed in thesame manner. The present invention, on the other hand, is concerned witha method of packaging by which the packages formed are each closed atone end by a cross seal and at the other end by a removable, reusableclosure member, each package thus being of a type in which the ends ofthe package are structurally differentiated. The end of each packagewhich is closed by a closure member constitutes the top of the packageand the end of each package which is closed by a cross seal constitutesthe bottom of the package. Neither Meissner nor Omori teaches orsuggests a method of forming such packages and, in particular, neitherdiscloses such a method which utilizes the novel and advantageousconcept of so forming the packages that, during the manufacture thereof,the end which constitutes the top of one package is adjacent to the endwhich constitutes the top of the next adjacent package, the end whichconstitutes the bottom of one package likewise being adjacent to the endwhich constitutes the bottom of the next adjacent package.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one preferred embodiment of thepresent invention a method of packaging by which the packages formed areeach closed at one end by -a cross seal and at the other end by aremovable closure member, comprises the steps of forming a web ofheat-scalable material into a substantially tubular casing by joiningthe adjacent edges of the material around a mandrel tube, cross sealingthe casing in advance of the mandrel by means of sealing memberssituated at a first station and advancing the casing by advancing thesealing members to a second station and thence to a third station, thesealing members being in fixed engagement with the casing during thismovement. The sealing members are then removed and are returned to thefirst station for again cross sealing the casing in advance of themandrel. A first pre-determined quantity of material is introduced intothe casing behind the sealing members, and a pair of spaced apartremovable re-usable closure members are then so applied to the casingbehind the surface of the first quantity of material that the closuremembers are at the second station during said return of the sealingmembers to the first station, a second predetermined quantity ofmaterial then being introduced into the casing behind the closuremembers before the sealing members again cross seal the casing inadvance of the mandrel. The casing is severed through said cross sealarea and between the spaced apart closure members.

According to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention amethod of packaging, by which the packages formed are each closed at oneend by a cross seal and at the other end by a removable re-usableclosure member, comprising the steps of forming a web of heatsealablematerial into a substantially tubular casing by joining the adjacentedges of the material around a mandrel tube, cross sealing the casing inadvance of the mandrel by means of sealing members situated at a firststation, advancing the casing by advancing the mandrel until said crosssealed area is positioned at a second station, retracting the mandreland introducing a first pre-determined quantity of material into thecasing behind the cross sealed area. The surface of the first quantityof material introduced into the casing is in advance of the firststation. A pair of spaced apart removable closure members are applied tothe casing at the first station and the casing is advanced by advancingthe mandrel until the closure members are positioned at the secondstation. The mandrel is then retracted and a second pre-determinedquantity of material is introduced into the casing behind the closuremembers, the surface of the second quantity of material introduced intothe casing being in advance of the first station. The casing is severedthrough said cross sealed area and between the spaced apart closuremembers.

In both of these embodiments the casing between the closures may beheat-sealed either prior to or simultaneously with the severingoperation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention may bemore clearly understood and more readily carried into efiect the samewill now, by way of example, be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a step according to apreferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURES 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d are diagrammatic representations of the stepsin the method according to the invention wherein a mandrel tube advancesthe tubular casing;

FIGURES 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d and 3e are diagrammatic representations of thesteps in the method according to the invention wherein the sealingmembers advance the tubular casing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to FIGURE 1 aweb of material of the type which seals itself upon the application ofheat and/ or pressure is unwound from a roller 12 and is then providedwith successive printed areas 14 which are illustrated, for example, inFIGURES 2b and 3b. In this step the web 10 is so printed that each area14 is inverted with respect to the immediately preceding printed area.This may be effected by passing the web 10 of material over a printingroller 16 which has a pair of typeset 18 inverted with respect to eachother. The length of each area 14 is less than, or at least no greaterthan, the length of a container with the result that the junctions 20between adjacent areas 14 are such that the areas 14 are immediate oralternatively are spaced apart.

After the printing step the web 10 of material is then, with referenceboth to the embodiment illustrated in FIG- URES 2a-2d and to thatillustrated in FIGURES Zia-3e, formed around a mandrel tube or former22, the overlapping portions of the web 10 being sealed by aconventional sealer (not shown) thereby to form a substantially tubularcasing 24 which extends in advance of the end of the mandrel tube 22,namely below the lower end of the tube 22 with reference to theillustrated embodiments. The next step comprises advancing the casing 24a predetermined distance whereby the junction 20 between a pair ofadjacent printed areas 14 is positioned for application of cross sealingmembers 26 or of a pair of spaced removable closures 28; filling takesplace between each movement of the casing 24. The application of thecross sealing members 26 takes place at the junction 20 between a pairof adjacent areas 14, the lower of which is inverted with respect to thedirection of filling, and the application of the removable closures 28takes place between a pair of areas 14, the lower of which is uprightwith respect to the direction of filling. The remaining steps in themethod will now be described first with reference to the embodiment inwhich the mandrel tube 22 moves the casing 24 and then with reference tothe embodiment in which the sealing members 26 move the casing 24.

Referring to FIGURES 2a to 2d the mandrel 22 is retracted, in the casing24, in an upward direction with reference to the illustrated embodiment,the retraction of the mandrel 22 being suflicient for the sealingmembers 26 which are positioned at a first station to move together andflatten the casing 24 (FIGURE 2a), thereby to effeet a cross seal at thejunction 20 between a pair of printed areas 14, the lower of which isinverted. The sealing members 26 are then separated and the mandrel 22is advanced, in a downward direction with reference to the illustratedembodiment, the mandrel 22 carrying with it the casing 24 to a positionat which said junction 20 is at a second station and the next junction20 between a pair of printed areas 14, the upper of which is invertedWith respect to the lower, is disposed opposite the cross sealingmembers 26 (FIGURE 2b). At this stage the mandrel 22 is again retractedduring which filling of the casing 24 with a measured or weighedquantity of material takes place to a position dictated by the positionto which the printed area 14 extends from the cross seal, the mandrelbeing so retracted suflicient for a pair of closures 28 to be applied tosaid next junction 20 (FIGURE 20). The closures 28 are in spacedrelation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the casing 24. Theclosures 28 may be of the spring operated joW or covered wire type orpreferably of the type disclosed in the applicants US. Patent No.3,264,698, issued on Aug. 9, 1966-.

The mandrel 22 is then again advanced carrying with it the casing 24 toa position at which the next junction 20 between a pair of printed areas14 is disposed opposite the cross sealing members 26 (FIGURE 2d).Finally, the mandrel 22 is retracted in the casing 24 suflicient for thesealing members 26 to move together and flatten the casing 24 to eifecta cross seal at said next junction 20, filling again taking place,during this retraction of the mandrel 22, with a measured or weighedquantity of material behind the pair of closures 28 and to a positiondictated by the position to which the printed area 14 extends from theclosures 28. The condition is thus again that shown in FIGURE 2a and theprocess is repeated.

Referring now to FIGURES 3a to 3e which show the alternative manner ofmoving the casing 2 4 by means of the sealing members 26, the lattermove together at a first station in advance of the fixed mandrel 22,namely below the fixed mandrel 22 with reference to the illustratedembodiment (FIGURE 3a). The casing 24 is thus flattened at the junction20 and a cross seal is thereby effected. As the next step the sealingmembers 26 remain in fixed engagement with the casing 24 and areadvanced, in a downward direction with reference to the illustratedembodiment, to a second station. The casing 24, while the members 26 arebeing so advanced is also advanced through an equal distance. The secondstation is so positioned that the next junction 20 between the printedareas 14 behind the cross seal is positioned at the first station whenthe cross seal is positioned at the second station. Filling of thecasing 24 with a measured or weighed quantity of material takes placeduring the above movement of the members 26, this filling beingcompleted when the sealing members 26 arrive at the second station.

As the next step the pair of closures 28 are applied to the casing 24 inspaced relation with respect to its longitudinal axis and behind thesurface of the material. The closures 28 are applied (FIGURE 3b) at thefirst station vacated by the sealing members 26 and are preferably of anature previously described herein.

As the next step the sealing members 26, while still in fixed engagementwith the casing 24, are advanced to a third station to effect a furtherand similar predetermined movement of the casing 24; meanwhile fillingwith a measured or weighed quantity of material takes place behind theclosures 28, this filling being completed when the sealing members 26arrive at the third station (FIGURE 30).

As the final step the sealing members 26 are moved outwards from thecasing 24 to effect their release and are returned to the first station(FIGURE 3d), the whole process then being repeated. FIGURE 3e shows thecondition, corresponding to that shown in FIGURE 312, when the processis next performed.

Referring both to the manner of moving the casing 24 shown in FIGURES 2ato 2d and to the alternative manner of moving the casing 24 shown inFIGURES 3a to 3e cutting means 29 is provided to sever the casing 24through each cross seal area and between each spaced pair of closures 28thereby to form the individual containers.

In order to prevent unauthorized opening of the containers, removal of aportion of the contained product, and re-sealing of the containers, bysimply removing and subsequently re-applying the mechanical closure, theend of each container which is presented by the severing of the casing24 between the spaced apart closure members 28 is preferably providedwith a heat seal which may be formed either prior to or simultaneouslywith the severing of the casing 24 to present said end of the container.Such containers have a greater potential commercial acceptability sincethey cannot, at any stage between the filling and sealing of thecontainers and the sale of the containers to the ultimate purchasers, betampered with in the above manner by unauthorized persons without suchtampering being evident to the ultimate purchaser. In addition, the endof such container adjacent to the mechanical closure has a neatappearance and is such that dirt and dust cannot accumulate thereinduring storage of the container.

To form such containers in which the end of each container presented bythe severing of the casing 24 between the spaced apart closure membershas a heat seal the cutting means 29, which is illustrated in block formin FIGURES 2b-2d and FIGURES 311-32 and which may be of conventionalform, may with reference to the preferred embodiments of the method, beprovided with heat sealing means so that when the cutting means 29 isoperated to sever containers from the flexible casing 24 the end facesof the containers so formed are thereby, and substantiallysimultaneously, provided with a heat seal.

As will be understood, operation of the cutting means 29 to sever thecasing 24 through the cross seal areas previously formed by the sealingmembers 26 serves merely to sever the containers since in this case theends of the containers so formed have already been sealed although, ofcourse, if the cross seal area formed by the members 26 is imperfect thecutting means 29 ensures that this imperfection in the sealing isremoved. When, however, the cutting means 29 is used to sever the casing24 between the spaced pair of closures 28 the heat sealing meansassociated with the cutting means 29 causes the ends of the containersso formed to be heat sealed so that even if the closures 28 aresubsequently removed by unauthorized persons the product within thecontainers cannot be tampered with without breaking these heat sealswhich would, of course, be apparent to the ultimate purchasers of thecontainers.

Even if the ends of the containers adjacent to the closures 28 are notcompletely heat sealed by the action of the cutting means 29 the primaryobject of this development will nevertheless be achieved provided thatthe dimensions of any unsealed portion of this end of each container aresuch that the products within the container cannot be removed therefromwithout increasing the dimensions of any such portion by partial openingof said end of the container. Furthermore, provided that the dimensionsof any unsealed portion of said end of each container are as indicatedabove even accidental loss of a portion of the products within thecontainer by sifting of the products from the container is prevented.

While the above description specifically refers to an arrangement inwhich the cutting means 29 is provided with the heat sealing means whichserves to provide the end of each container adjacent to the closure 28with a heat seal it is to be understood that said heat sealing means maybe constituted by means distinct from the cutting means 29 and operableindependently thereof, and that in this case said heat sealing means maybe so arranged that it does not operate on the cross seal area formed bythe members 26 but operates only to provide the ends of the containersadjacent to the closures 28 with heat seals. Alternatively, the cuttingmeans 29 may be constituted by two separate cutting means, one of whichis provided with heat sealing means and is operable only to sever thecasing 24 between the pairs of closures 28 and to provide the ends whichare thereby formed with heat seals while the other of which is notprovided with heat sealing means and is operable only to sever thecasing 24 through the cross seal areas formed by the members 26. Again,the cutting means 29 may be constituted by burnmg means in which casethe casing 24 is severed by a burning operation which also provides heatfor the cross and heat sealing of the ends which are thereby formed.

While certain embodiments have been illustrated and described for thepurpose of disclosure, it will be understood that the invention is notlimited thereto, but contemplates such modifications and otherembodiments as may be utilized Without departing from the invention. Forexample, While in the embodiments of the invention which arehereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing theareas 14 are printed immeditely before the web '10 of material is formedinto the tubular casing 24 of the areas 14 may be printed on the web 10in an earlier operation in which case the web 10, as it is unwound fromthe roller 12, is, of course, already printed. Furthermore, adjacentprintedareas 14 need not be inverted relative to one another while, evenin embodiments in which adjacent printed areas 14 are inverted relativeto one another, this may be construed merely as indicating that adjacentareas 14 are disposed at to one another although in the precedingdescription of the preferred embodiments with reference to theaccompanying drawings the references to the areas 14 being inverted orupright relate to the direction in which the areas would normally beviewed.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A method of packaging by which the packages formed are each closed atone end by a cross seal and at the other end by a removable closuremember, the method comprising the steps of forming a web of sealableflexible material into a substantially continuous tubular casing arounda mandrel tube, cross sealing the casing in advance of the mandrel bymeans of sealing members situated at a first station, advancing thecasting by advancing the sealing members to a second station and thenceto a third station, the sealing members being in fixed engagement withthe casing during this movement, and removing the sealing members andreturning them to the first station for again cross sealing the casingin advance of the mandrel; a first pro-determined quantity of materialbeing introduced into the casing behind the sealing members, a pair ofspaced apart removable closure members then being so applied to thecasing behind the surface of the first quantity of material that theclosure members are at the second station during said return of thesealing members to the first station, and a second pre-determinedquanti;y of material then being introduced into the casing behind theclosure members before the sealing members again cross seal the casingin advance of the mandrel, and the casing being severad through saidcross seal area and between the spaced apart closure members.

2. A method of packaging by which the packages formed are each closed atone end by a cross seal and at the other end by a removable, re-usableclosure member, the method comprising the steps of forming a web ofsealable flexible material into a substantially tubular casing around amandrel tube, cross sealing the casing in advance of the mandrel bymeans of sealing members situated at a first station, advancing thecasing by advancing the sealing members to a second station, the sealingmembers being in fixed engagement with the easing during this movement,introducing a first pre-determined quantity of material into the casingbehind the sealing members, applying a pair of spaced apart removablere-usable closure members to the casing at the first station and behindthe surface of the first quantity of material, advancing the casing byadvancing the sealing members to a third station, the sealing membersagain being in fixed engagement with the casing during this movement,introducing a second pre-determined quantity of material into the casingbehind the closure members, removing the sealing members and returningthem to the first station, and severing the casing through said crossseal area and between the spaced apart closure members.

3. A method of packaging by which the packages formed are each closed atone end by a cross seal and at the other end by a removable, re-usableclosure member, the method comprising the steps of providing successiveprinted areas on a web of sealable flexible ma terial whereby eachprinted area is inverted with respect to the immediately precedingprinted area, forming the web into a substantially tubular casing arounda mandrel tube, cross sealing the casing at the junction of a first pairof printed areas in advance of the mandrel by means of sealing memberssituated at a first station, advancing the casing by advancing thesealing members to a second station whereby the next junction betweenthe pair of printed areas immediately following said cross seal ispositioned at the first station, the sealing members being in fixedengagement with the casing during this movement, introducing a firstpre-determined quantity of material into the casing behind the sealingmembers, applying a pair of spaced apart removable, re-usable closuremembers to said next junction and behind the surface of the firstquantity of material, advancing the casing by advancing the sealingmembers to a third station, the sealing members again being in fixedengagement with the casing during this movement, introducing a secondpre-determined quantity of material into the casing behind the closuremembers, removing the sealing members and returning them to the firststation, and severing the casing through said cross seal area andbetween the spaced apart closure members.

4. A method of packaging by which the packages formed are each closed atone end by a cross seal and at the other end by a removable, re-usableclosure member, the method comprising the steps of forming a web ofsealable flexible material into a substantially tubular casing around amandrel tube, cross sealing the casing in advance of the mandrel bymeans of sealing members situated at a first station, advancing thecasing by advancing the mandrel until said cross seal area is positionedat a second station, retracting the mandrel and introducing a firstpre-determined quantity of material into the casing behind said crossseal area, the surface of the first quantity of material introduced intothe casing being in advance of the first station, applying a pair ofspaced apart removable, re-usable closure members to the casing at thefirst station, advancing the casing by advancing the mandrel until theclosure members are positioned at the second station, retracting themandrel and introducing a second pre-determined quantity of materialinto the casing behind the closure members, the surface of the secondquantity of material introduced into the casing being in advance of thefirst station, and severing the casing through said cross seal area andbetween the spaced apart closure members.

5. A method of packaging by which the packages formed are each closed atone end by a cross seal and at the other end by a removable, re-usableclosure member, the method comprising the steps of providing successiveprinted areas on a web of sealable flexible material whereby eachprinted area is inverted with respect to the immediately precedingprinted area, forming the web into a substantially tubular casing arounda mandrel tube, cross sealing the casing in advance of the mandrel atthe junction of a first pair of printed areas by means of sealingmembers situated at a pre-determined station, advancing the casing byadvancing the mandrel until the next junction, between the pair ofprinted areas immediately following said cross seal area, is positionedat said pre-determined station, retracting the mandrel and introducing afirst predetermined quantity of material into the casing behind saidcross seal area, the surface of the first quantity of materialintroduced into the casing being in advance of said pre-determinedstation, applying a pair of spaced apart removable, re-usable closuremembers to the casing at said next junction, advancing the casing byadvancing the mandrel until the next junction, between the pair ofprinted areas immediately following the closure members, is positionedat said pre-determined station, retracting the mandrel and introducing asecond pre-determined quantity of material into the casing behind theclosure members, the surface of the second quantity of materialintroduced into the casing being in advance of said pre-determinedstation, and severing the casing through said cross seal area andbetween the spaced apart closure members.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the casing between the closuremembers is heat-sealed prior to or substantially simultaneously withsevering of the casing.

7. A method according to claim 2 wherein the casing between the closuremembers is heat-sealed prior to or substantially simultaneously withsevering of the casing.

8. A method according to claim 3 wherein the casing between the closuremembers is heat-sealed prior to or substantially simultaneously withsevering of the casing.

9. A method according to claim 4 wherein the casing between the closuremembers is heat-sealed prior to or substantially simultaneously withsevering of the casing.

10. A method according to claim 5 wherein the casing between the closuremembers is heat-sealed prior to or substantially simultaneously withsevering of the casing.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,115,536 5/1968 Great Britain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner E. F. DESMOND, Assistant Examiner USCl. X.R. 53--28

